Friday, May 23, 2014

48Firearms Discovered This Week
– Of the 48 firearms, 39 were loaded and 15 had rounds
chambered. See a complete list and more photos at the bottom of this post.

Inert
Ordnance and Grenades, etc.
– TSA continues to find inert hand grenades and other weaponry on a weekly
basis. Please keep in mind that if an item looks like a real bomb, grenade,
mine, etc., it is prohibited. When these items are found at a checkpoint or
in checked baggage, they can cause significant delays because the explosives
detection professionals must resolve the alarm to determine the level of
threat. Even if they are novelty items, you cannot bring them on a plane. Read here on why inert items
cause problems.

Artfully Concealed Items (Clockwise) BOS, LGB, PHL, ROA

Seven
inert grenades were discovered this week. Six were discovered in
checked-baggage at Anchorage (ANC) and one was found in a carry-on bag at Las
Vegas (LAS).

Artfully
Concealed Prohibited Items –
It’s important to examine your bags prior to traveling to ensure prohibited
items are not inside. If a prohibited item is discovered in your bag or on your
body, you could be cited and possibly arrested by local law enforcement. Here
are a few examples from this week where prohibited items were found by officers
in strange places.

Batarangs (EWR)

42 credit card knives were
discovered this week. Eleven were discovered at Kansas City (MCI), eleven were
discovered at Minneapolis (MSP), three were discovered at Tampa (TPA), two at
Myrtle Beach (MYR), two at Cincinnati (CVG), two at St Louis (STL), and the
remainder were discovered at Bismarck (BIS), Charleston (CHS), Chicago O'Hare
(ORD), Duluth (DLH), Fargo (FAR), Joplin (JLN), Long Beach (LGB),
Manchester (MHT), Saint Louis (STL), Shreveport (SHV) and Traverse City (TVC).

A
plastic bag containing 67 pills hidden inside of a hollowed out textbook was
discovered in checked baggage at Philadelphia (PHL).

Knives (Clockwise) ABE, BOS, BTV, ITH

A
utility blade was detected within a tablet computer at Chicago Midway (MDW).

After
opting out of AIT screening at Jacksonville (JAX), a manicure set and a pocket
knife were discovered under a passenger’s undergarments during a pat-down.

A cane
with a stun gun built into the bottom was discovered at Roanoke (ROA).

Airsoft Guns – Three Airsoft guns were
discovered this week in carry-on bags. Two were discovered at Palm Beach (PBI)
and one was discovered at Abilene (ABI). Airsoft guns are prohibited in
carry-on bags, but allowed in checked baggage. Airsoft grenades are not
permitted in checked or carry-on bags. Read this post for more information: TSA
Travel Tips Tuesday: Traveling with Airsoft Guns

*In
order to provide a timely weekly update, this data is compiled from a
preliminary report. The year-end numbers will vary slightly from what is
reported in the weekly updates. However, any monthly, midyear, or end-of-year
numbers TSA provides on this blog or elsewhere will be actual numbers and not
estimates.

Unfortunately
these sorts of occurrences are all too frequent which is why we talk about
these finds. Sure, it’s great to share the things that our officers are
finding, but at the same time, each time we find a dangerous item, the line is
slowed down and a passenger that likely had no ill intent ends up with a
citation or in some cases is even arrested. The passenger can face a penalty as
high as $7,500. This is a friendly reminder to please leave these items
at home. Just because we find a prohibited item on an individual does not mean
they had bad intentions, that's for the law enforcement officer to decide. In
many cases, people simply forgot they had these items.

Are these "GUN carriers" being arrested? Our nation wants to pass conceal weapon laws and this is the consequences.If these people are prosecuted, then maybe they will be more aware of what they are doing. This is not the Wild Wild West, or is it?

Oh my god people above me. Better safe than sorry. How hard is it for you to take off your shoes?? It's a simple task and only takes a couple of seconds. If you feel like it's a hard process, wear flip flops or slip ons. But don't complain because I prefer to fly safely. Thank you very much, TSA and security for making flying safe every day. It decreases my anxiety. It's also kind of interesting to see what is brought in their carry-on bags. Thank gosh those were taken out and not put on the plane. That's why we have you and I am very appreciative.

Anonymous said...Oh my god people above me. Better safe than sorry. How hard is it for you to take off your shoes?? It's a simple task and only takes a couple of seconds. If you feel like it's a hard process, wear flip flops or slip ons. But don't complain because I prefer to fly safely. Thank you very much, TSA and security for making flying safe every day. It decreases my anxiety. It's also kind of interesting to see what is brought in their carry-on bags. Thank gosh those were taken out and not put on the plane. That's why we have you and I am very appreciative.May 24, 2014 at 11:23 AM

Oh, yes, so appreciative! Why, whatever would we do without the TSA??!

Gee -- just fly freely and safely as we did for over 80 years, and all without being pawed, groped, or robbed.

Anonymous sez...Oh my god people above me.Don't you know better than to take the Lord's name in vain?

How hard is it for you to take off your shoes??Not hard for most people, but for me (with ataxia) it's much more difficult.

If you feel like it's a hard process, wear flip flops or slip ons....which would be dangerous in boarding or deboarding an aircraft, especially if using stairs on a smaller aircraft.

But don't complain because I prefer to fly safely.So do I, and with my trekking poles, I could easily whack a terrorist in the face.

It decreases my anxiety.So does my pet cat.

It's also kind of interesting to see what is brought in their carry-on bags.Interesting, but unsafe? Maybe you're interested for the same reason that many TSOs have been busted for theft?

Thank gosh those were taken out and not put on the plane.Much better. The Lord thanks you.

That's why we have you and I am very appreciative.You appreciate a figment of your imagination when it comes to safety. Without newer statistics, the TSA hasn't proven that it catches even HALF of the contraband smuggled through security in past simulations.

Flying safely for over 80 years? Aren't you forgetting the two into the WTC, the one into the Pentagon, and the one in the field in Pennsylvania? We will not tire, we will not falter, we will not fail. Please remember these people tomorrow--they are heroes too.

Anonymous said...Flying safely for over 80 years? Aren't you forgetting the two into the WTC, the one into the Pentagon, and the one in the field in Pennsylvania? We will not tire, we will not falter, we will not fail. Please remember these people tomorrow--they are heroes too.May 25, 2014 at 2:43 PM

Oh, brother. I was waiting for someone to bring up 9/11.

"9/11! 9/11! 9/11 changed everything!"

First of all, no, they aren't heroes; they were victims.

Second, yet another niggling fact is in order, though it's been repeated here only about a hundred times: no bombs were brought on planes on 9/11. Neither guns nor knives nor brass knuckles nor throwing stars nor marijuana nor pills nor inert grenades brought down the planes on 9/11.

The planes themselves were commandeered, something that won't happen again for only two reasons, neither of which is due to the TSA: the cockpit doors have been secured, and passengers will no longer passively submit.

If you're so afraid Big Scary Terrorists are hiding around every corner, do us all a favor and stay home. The rest of us have lives to lead. And we prefer to lead them in freedom and reason, not fear.

B. Statistically, flying is safer than driving--even considering recent terror events. You are more likely to die from heart disease or cancer than from an airplane crash or a terror attack. You are more likely to drown in a bathtub. --http://www.livescience.com/3780-odds-dying.html and http://reason.com/archives/2006/08/11/dont-be-terrorized

Anonymous said...Flying safely for over 80 years? Aren't you forgetting the two into the WTC, the one into the Pentagon, and the one in the field in Pennsylvania? We will not tire, we will not falter, we will not fail. Please remember these people tomorrow--they are heroes too.May 25, 2014 at 2:43 PM.........................Sorry, while the loss of life from the events of 9/11 is sad and a black day for this country it has nothing to do with Memorial day and TSA has nothing to do with either date.

What we see from this weeks recap of items found is TSA exceeding a limited administrative search and then bragging about it. Or finding toys and items that are in no way a threat to anything yet TSA can't help thinking it's worth bragging about too.

It's well past time to demand that TSA restricts its activities to limited administrative searches for the sole purpose of finding WEI. That is the extent of TSA's job and we should expect TSA to do its job.

I continue to wait for some justification for active duty military being included in pre-check, but not retired military or holders of current DoD or LE background investigations. military retirees have at least 20 years documented service to this Nation, pretty much proving their lack of risk. both DoD and LE background investigations should reveal any risk factors. active duty military do not, necessarily, have a background check or any significant length of service. neither citizenship nor a background investigation is required to enlist in the military, in fact there are likely illegal immigrants serving. if it is really about safety, then why are potentially unscreened non-citizens allowed through? sounds like it is just pandering to an admirable group to get PR, not adjusting the rules to ease screening on those who present a lower likelihood of threat.Let me be clear: pre-911 screening should be the norm. it is all that is required, now that cockpit doors have been reinforced and locked, and flight crews and passengers know that the rules have changed and passivity=death. however, if we are going to continue this massive waste of tax dollars on security theatre, at least have _some_ of the rules make sense.

So TSA stops passengers who buy a one-way ticket and are carrying a lot of cash (both of which are presumably circumstances that indicate terror risk) but completely misses the AK-47 ammo clips in their luggage? What exactly are you people doing at the checkpoints???

Daphne sez - "Thank you for your work! I appreciate the mindfulness you bring to your efforts to keep us all safe. Daphne"

Thank you Daphne, we appreciate the kind thoughts!

Anon sez - "Considering over half of TSAs workforce are veterans of our military; I think Memorial Day means a lot to most of them. Keep up the great work!"

We appreciate the kind words! I think the actual ratio is closer to 1/3rd of the workforce, perhaps even 1/4 of the workforce, but we do have quite a few former and current military members on duty with us. I too am fairly certain that Memorial Day means quite a bit to them.

RB sez - "Memorial Day is the day that we remember those who died in wars. It is not about the living.

Memorial Day means a lot to many people but the simple fact is that it has nothing to do with TSA."

I would modify this just a little, Memorial Day is about paying homage to those that died during wars to help remind the living of them and their sacrifices.

With 1/4+ of the workforce being former/current military members, Memorial Day is important to a large percentage of the workforce - thus making it a pretty big deal to TSA in general - the same with Veterans Day.

So TSA stops passengers who buy a one-way ticket and are carrying a lot of cash (both of which are presumably circumstances that indicate terror risk) but completely misses the AK-47 ammo clips in their luggage? What exactly are you people doing at the checkpoints???"

Considering the AK-47 magazines were in the checked baggage, and there is no requirement to declare empty magazines, TSA was following the regulations as posted. Since the items were in the passengers checked luggage, I would further venture the checkpoint personnel had nothing to do with the search of the checked luggage - so they were operating the checkpoint.

"Considering the AK-47 magazines were in the checked baggage, and there is no requirement to declare empty magazines, TSA was following the regulations as posted."

From my original comment on this:

"A TSA spokesman told MailOnline today that the empty magazines were in checked luggage and although the clips are illegal, the agency's role is not to find such items. The TSA is focused on finding any item which would cause 'catastrophic damage' to a plane."

If it is illegal to carry such, then why didn't the TSA baggage screeners act? They certainly would have had they found suspected drugs.

These two men were stopped by the TSA for carrying large sums of cash which is not illegal if it has been properly declared.

After discussions with CPB, they were allowed to continue their travels with their cash. This says that they had properly declared their cash, otherwise it would have been confiscated.

Is it the TSA's job to report travelers with large sums of cash to the CPB?

Susan sez - "If it is illegal to carry such, then why didn't the TSA baggage screeners act? They certainly would have had they found suspected drugs."

Many of the baggage areas (if not all) at LAX use CT technology, if the bag did not alarm it was most likely not opened. Even if they opened the bag looking for an item that alarmed, there is no guarantee that the magazines were seen (unless they alarmed the CT system) - since they were not looking for them specifically. The same would be the case with many other items that may be illegal - if it is not seen or is not the subject of an alarm, there is nothing to report.

As far as traveling with Currency, the posting on TSAs website is here.

GSOLTSO said...Susan sez - "If it is illegal to carry such, then why didn't the TSA baggage screeners act? They certainly would have had they found suspected drugs."Many of the baggage areas (if not all) at LAX use CT technology, if the bag did not alarm it was most likely not opened. Even if they opened the bag looking for an item that alarmed, there is no guarantee that the magazines were seen (unless they alarmed the CT system) - since they were not looking for them specifically. The same would be the case with many other items that may be illegal - if it is not seen or is not the subject of an alarm, there is nothing to report. As far as traveling with Currency, the posting on TSAs website is here.And here is the blog post on traveling with large amounts of currency.WestTSA Blog TeamMay 31, 2014 at 10:58 AM-----------------------There is no law restricting how much cash a person can travel with. There is a requirement to declare $10,000 and over to Customs when leaving or entering the country. TSA has no role in this area and interfering in this area violates the limited search doctrine.